**SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD 2015*** Alan loves animals, but the great cat house at the Bronx Zoo makes him sad. Why are they all alone in empty cages? Are they being punished? More than anything, he wants to be their champion-their voice-but he stutters uncontrollably. Except when he talks to animals Then he is fluent. Follow the life of the man Time Magazine calls, "the Indiana Jones of wildlife conservation" as he searches for his voice and fulfils a promise to speak for animals, and people, who cannot speak for themselves. This real-life story with tender illustrations by Catia Chen explores truths not defined by the spoken word. AGES: 4-8 AUTHOR: Dr. Alan Rabinowtiz has dedicated his life to two causes: protecting the world's thirty-six wild cat species and advocating for stutterers as a spokesperson for the Stuttering Foundation of America. His conservation work has been chronicled in the New York Times, Scientific American, Audobon, Outside, Jerusalem Report and National Geographic Explorer, among others. He tells audiences that he feels lucky to have been given the gift of stuttering and believes that without it, he would not be on the path of his passion--saving big cats. This is his first book with Houghton Mifflin. Visit www.panthera.org and www.stutteringhelp.org. ILLUSTRATOR: Catia Chien is an avid painter. She is a collection of fun entomology facts and has been known to prefer soup over most other types of food. Besides filled with vivid imagination, her work is described as rich with whimsy, colours, and energy. She is currently producing work for the children's book market, film and animation, comic book anthologies, and galleries.